Happy 80th Birthday Jane Goodall: Inspirational Quotes from the Lady of the Apes

Today is conservationist Jane Goodall's 80thbirthday. The British-born anthropologist is believed to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees and has expanded out into conservation and animal welfare following her first trip to Kenya in 1957.

To mark her birthday, IBTimes UK has found some of the best quotes from her 60 year career.

1. Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans have been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest, living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I would say that they have been in a way more successful than us as far as being in harmony with the environment.

2. My mission is to create a world where we can live in harmony with nature.

3. You cannot share your life with a dog, as I had done in Bournemouth, or a cat, and not know perfectly well that animals have personalities and minds and feelings.

4. My family has very strong women. My mother never laughed at my dream of Africa, even though everyone else did because we didn't have any money, because Africa was the 'dark continent', and because I was a girl.

5. When you meet chimps you meet individual personalities. When a baby chimp looks at you it's just like a human baby. We have a responsibility to them.

6. But does that mean that war and violence are inevitable? I would argue not because we have also evolved this amazingly sophisticated intellect, and we are capable of controlling our innate behaviour a lot of the time.

7. If you look through all the different cultures. Right from the earliest, earliest days with the animistic religions, we have sought to have some kind of explanation for our life, for our being, that is outside of our humanity.

8. If you really want something, and really work hard, and take advantage of opportunities, and never give up, you will find a way.

9. Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right.

10. Chimpanzees have given me so much. The long hours spent with them in the forest have enriched my life beyond measure. What I have learned from them has shaped my understanding of human behavior, of our place in nature.

11. The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.

12. Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.